Wastebasket



May 11, 1965 J. w. FULLEIRV WASTEBASKET Filed March 13, 1963 FIG. 2

FIG. I

FIG.3 F|G.4

INVENTOR.

L E Q AT TORNEK United States Patent 3,182,847 WASTEBASKET John W. Fuller, 80 Skyline Drive, Morristown, NJ. Filed Mar. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 264,820 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-4) The invention relates generally to wastebaskets, and specifically to a wastebaskct which may be quickly and easily assembled from its component parts.

It is an object of the invention to provide a wastebasket which may be easily assembled from its components, and may be prior to assembling it packaged, stored, sold and shipped in a relatively small, compact, flat package.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wastebasket which may be quickly and easily assembled by the ultimate purchaser without tools.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, esthetically pleasing, durable wastebasket.

These objects and advantages may be attained by the article shown, by way of illustration of the invention, in the drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the assemblage with one retainer removed;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of a side panel;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of a retainer;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view of theretainer;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the retainer;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom View of the retainer;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the bottom;

FIGURE 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the back corner of the assemblage taken on the line 88 in FIG- URE 1, looking the direction of the arrows.

The design of the wastebasket is dictated in part by the desire to meet the demand of the mass-market for a product which is priced within the reach of the multitude. To reach this type of consumer, the price is low, the article is designed to be easily assembled by the ultimate purchaser, and thus may be shipped, stored, and sold in a small flat package. To merchandise an assembled basket would make the product much more expensive to assemble it, to store it, to package it for shipment, delivery or sale. The present device has five principal parts; there are four accessory parts, that enable the components to be assembled with speed and ease after delivery to the ultimate purchaser.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the wastebasket is preferably rectangular .with four side-panels 11 although it may be formed with a greater or lesser number of side panels. Each panel may be generally rectangular, or may be tapered with side edges 12 tapering toward the bottom 13. The side or vertical edges 12 of the side panels 11 are provided with enlargements 14 along the vertical edge 12 on one side, and opposing cooperative sockets 15, 15, etc. along the vertical edge 12 on the other side of the side panel 11.

Parallel to the vertical edges 12 of the side panels 11, and on the outer face thereof, and spaced a brief distance inwardly therefrom, vertical channels 16 are formed. The top of each channel is provided with a widened channel area 17, for ease in starting the insertion of retainers, as will be later set forth. Each panel 11 has on its inner face, near the bottom, a latitudinal rib 18 that defines "ice a seat for a bottom. Above the rib 18 are a plurality enlargements 19, formed on the inner face of the 5 panel 11, and so spaced above the rib 18 as to act as tainers or detents to secure the bottom in seated engz ment on the rib 18.

The side panels 11 are secured together in edge-to-e relationship with the enlargements 14 inserted in the sc ets 15 by the side panels being clinched together by tainers 20. These retainers 20 are relatively thin, 10] tudinally resilient but latitudinally relatively rigid m strips having sides 21 relatively rigidly disposed at an at (approximately 90) to each other, and having flan edges 22 relatively rigidly disposed to the sides 21, 21 a angle of approximately 90; the edges 22 are adaptet enter the channels 16 at the wide area 17, and the sides lie against the adjacent front face portions of the panels At the top of each retainer 20, there are bent over 1 tions defining pairs of detents 23. These bent over 1 tions are triangular, and limit the insertion of the retail 20 in channels 16. The retainers are sufficiently long St to engage the entire length of the channels 16 with detents 23 engaged with the edge of the panel adja I to the end of the channels 16.

The side panels 11 are preferably made of plastic sh and may be clear, simulated tortoise shell, or any 01 chosen color, with a design, such as a simulated cut-g applied thereto. A rectangular bottom panel 24 mad the same material, is also provided. It is dimensione as to fit between the side panels 11 and to be seated on rib 18, held down by the enlargements 19. The parts rigidly and durably assembled, but may be disassemblet prying the retainers 20 out of the channels.

The foregoing description is merely intended to il trate an embodiment of the invention. The compo] parts have been shown and described. They each 1 have substitutes which may perform a substantially s lar function; such substitutes may be known as prt substitutes for the said components and may have actu been known or invented before the present invent these substitutes are contemplated as being within scope of the appended claims, although they are not cifically catalogued herein.

What is claimed:

A wastebasket comprising (a) generally rectangular side-panels having mitt vertical edges,

(b) opposing cooperative enlargements and socket: the opposite vertical edges of the side panels, the largements extending generally parallel to the of the panel bearing its cooperative socket, the largements and sockets positioned to maintain top and bottom edges of the panels in vertical It tration and the vertical edges abutting panels in l zontal registration when the said cooperative enla ments and sockets are tightly engaged to each 01 (0) generally vertical channels on the outer-faces ol side-panels in parallelism and adjacent to the ver edges,

(d) retainers having sides relatively rigidly dispose generally right angles to each other, and flange: the edge of each side relatively, rigidly, inwardly posed at generally right angles to the side on Whit 3 e is formed, the said flanges being slidably engaged Reterences Jited by the Examiner with pairs of channels wherebyrthe side panels are se- UNITED STATES PATENTS cured together in edge-to-edge relation with the en- 7 largernents and sockets engaged with each other, 1401080 6/73 Sargent 217%69 detents at the top of each retainer to limit the 5 372694 11/87 Mergott' slidable engagement of the end of the retainers to the 3,003,016 9/11 Walks 217-69 end of the channels by engagement of the detent 1,184,505 5/16 B acon with the edge of the panel adjacent to the channel, 1310315 6/31 B1 mstCk 217*65 a widened channel area at the top of each channel, 21659515 11/53 22O 80 a latitudinal rib on the inner faces of each side- 10 2,818,192 12/57 Wemer 2204 panel adjacent to the bottom thereof; X332 an enlargement on the inner faces of each side 3028989 4/62 Maier 220 80 panel above the rib,

b a bottom-panel dimensioned to seat within the sidepanels with its edges between the ribs and the en- 1 THERON CGNDON Primary Examiner largements on the inner face of the side panels. GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

